My son wants to be a teacher . . . .

My son wants to be a teacher . . .

My son recently graduated from high school and is taking a gap year to work and to decide on his path for the future.  He is a smart young man with a lot of things going for him.  He got decent grades in school.  He played competitive sports in school, and he played rep and now jr hockey.  He is charismatic, charming, and caring.  He has a very large close social network, and a supportive extended family.

Like any parent, I still worry about some of the choices my son is making.  He says he wants to be a teacher.

We live in an area abundant in natural resources and therefore abundent in resource based jobs and careers.  There is incredible opportunity for young people to create very lucrative careers in the trades in our region.  I'm torn between supporting my son's interest in becoming a teacher and pushing him in the direction of the trades.  I have a lot of misgivings about where his interest in teaching will lead him.

Don't get me wrong.  I love my job as a principal, and I loved being a classroom teacher.  However, I have been at this now for almost 20 years and I feel the need to share my misgivings with him.  The prospects for new teachers directly out of univesity are not very bright, especially for students in the humanities.  He could end up with a degree, a pile of debt, and few job opportunities in his field of study.

Teaching can be an extremely rewarding profession.  Where else do you get to work this closely with kids?  Where else can you be part of ongoing systemic change that can have a profound impact on the future?  Where else do you get to help shape our next generation?

My misgivings over my son's current direction come not only from my worry about the shortage of jobs for new teachers, but also from my worry about what awaits teachers in the future. The job is becoming increasingly complex, and from my vantage point, increasingly stressful.

What do I tell him?